Electrical connectors are frequently used to provide an electrical interface between an electronic device, such as a radio or other communication device, and an external accessory. These connectors often utilize multiple electrical contacts to handle electrical signals over several lines of communications. Ordinarily, an electrical connection between the accessory and the device is made by physically attaching a connector assembly to the electronic device, such that the electrical contacts of the connector engages complementary electrical contacts, or ports, on the electronic device. The connector assembly must be rigidly secured to ensure that proper electrical contact is made and maintained between the connector and the electrical ports of the electronic device while the connector is in use.
To ensure proper electrical contact between the connector and the electronic device, many of the existing connector assemblies employ springs, screws, or other fastener combinations, which help to secure the connector to the device housing. These solutions tend to require additional components to be built into the connector or the device housing or both. FIG. I depicts an electronic device 10 with an attached prior art accessory connector 20. The connector 20 is attached to the device housing 13 using a screw 25. The screw 25 is needed to ensure that a tight fit is maintained between the connector 20 and the housing 13, and a tool may be needed to properly tighten the screw 25. Additionally, the use of a screw 25 requires that a screw socket (not shown), such as a metal insert, is mounted within the device housing 13, to protect the integrity of the device housing 13, but which ultimately makes the device 10 more expensive to manufacture. Similar arrangements are typical in the art.
Prior art solutions which address the need to secure proper electrical coupling between the connector and electronic device tend to be bulky and difficult to use. Moreover, there are tooling, procurement, and other manufacturing costs, which are necessitated by the extra components needed to facilitate the manufacture of prior art connectors. With the increasing design requirements for smaller and more compact electronic devices, the resultant form factor of today's smaller devices is not convenient for multi-part connectors which require extra components on the device housing to facilitate connection. Therefore, there exists a need for an improved connector assembly, which provides the required connection rigidity for proper electrical contact, and which offers improved operational convenience and lower manufacturing costs.